Deflector for windshields



De@ 3, 1940*-y F. c. MARTIN DEFLECTOR FOR WINDSHIELDS Filed Jan. 15; 19140 orneys Patentedl Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT ortica DEFLECTOR FOR SHIELDS Floyd C. Martin, Jamestown, N. Y., assigner to Lillian A. Martin, Jamestown, N. Y.

Appiication'ranuary 15, 1940, serial No. 313,996

mobiles and adapted, under travel of the automo- Y bile, to divert insects, mist, dust, and the like,

away from the windshield so as to prevent the same from collecting thereon, whereby the windshield may be maintained in a condition for clear it vision therethrough.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing,'a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, set forth in detail M in the succeeding description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In said drawing:

Figure l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section illustrating the preno ferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in top plan,

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

ii Referring to the drawing by numerals, according to my invention, the hood i of the automobile is equipped, on thev under side thereof, with, preierably, a pair of duplex air conducting and collecting conduits 2 extending lengthwise of the di! hood upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, respectively, in closely spaced, substantially wrallel relation, from points closely adjacent to the radiator grill 3 to points within a short distance of the cowl d. The conduits 2 do are designed, as regards Width, so that, at the cowl it, their outer sides align with the sides of the windshield 5. Conduits 2 are preferably of trough-like form with straight sides, open front ends, and right angled side edge flanges B by 40 means of which they are suitably secured to the .under face of the hood I, for instance, as by welding, not shown, and said conduits gradually decrease in depth rearwardly. At the rear ends thereof said conduits 2 are provided with upward- 45' ly and rearwardly inclined rear walls 'l extending.

to the rear edge of a pair of air outlet slots 8 provided in the hood I and extending across lsaid conduits, respectively.

A pair of closure aps 9 are hinged, as at I0, to

50 the front ends of the conduits 2, respectively, for

upward swinging movement to close the same. A` A similar pair of flaps I i are similarly hinged, as at I2, to the upper edge of the rear walls 1, respec` tively, to close the slots 8. The pair of ilaps 9 are 55 connected intermediate the conduits 2 by a cross rod I3 equipped with a depending crank arm I4. A similar cross rod I5 connects the naps II intermediate said conduits 2, said rod also having a depending crank arm I6.

A flap operating rod It is slidably mounted at 5 its rear end in a bracket Il beneath the cowl 4 to. extend forwardly beneath the conduits 2 and with the front end pivotally connected, as at i8,

' to the'crank arm M. Av guide I9 depends from the conduits 2 and through which said rod I6 is l0 s'lidably extended. A pick-up connection between the rod I6 and crank arm i6 is provided in the form of a finger 20, the arrangement being such that under forward movement of the rod It', in the open position of the naps 9, II, said rod rst lo acts to close the flaps 9 and then to engage the crank arm i3 and close the ilaps ii, this being a compensating provision for effecting simultaneous closing of the flaps 9, II, the flaps I l being larger than the flaps 9 and having a greater are 20 of closing movement.

A hand lever 2| is suitably mounted in the cowl l and connected to the rod i6 for manual operation of said rod.

'I'he operation of the described invention will 25 be readily understood. The flaps 9, Il, being open, under forward travel of the automobile, air is picked up by the conduits 2 through the grill 3, said conduits acting as scoops and the air being forced therethrough and upwardly through the slots 8 past the Windshield 5 directly in front of the latter. Thus a wall of upwardly and swiftly traveling air is provided directly in front of the windshield acting to blow insects,

mist, and dust upwardly yast the same so that the usual collection on the windshield is'prevented. The conduits 2 gradually decreasing in depth rearwardly provide f or pressure being built up in the conduits so that the air is blasted out of the slots 8.

By manipulating the rod I6 to vary the position of the flaps 9, II, the intake and discharge of air may be varied as desired.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice f im part a clear understanding of my inventioi. winhi5 out further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with the hood, grill, and windshield of an automobile of means to deflectmatter away from said windshield under forward travel of the automobile comprising a pair of air collecting and discharging conduits in said hood extending lengthwise of the same upon opposite sides .of the longitudinal center thereof, respectively, in side by side contiguous relation and having open front ends adjacent to said grill to scoop up air entering the grill, and rear ends opening upwardly through said hood immediately in front of said windshield, front and rear end closure iiaps hingedly mounted on said conduits for opening and closing movement, a fap operating rod mounted in said hood for endwise sliding movement and projecting into the body of the automobile, and operating connections between said rod and flaps.

2. The combination with the hood, grill. and windshield of an automobile of means to deect matter away from said windshield under forward travel of the automobile comprising a .pair of air collecting and discharging conduits in said hood extending lengthwise of the same upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, respectively, in side-by-side contiguous relation and having open iront ends adjacent to said grill to scoop up air entering the grill, and rear ends opening upwardly through said hood immediately infront of said windshield, front and rear end closure flaps hingedly mounted on said conduits 4 for opening and closing movement, a flap operating rod mounted in said hood for endwise sli assasvs movement'and projecting into the body of the automobile, and operating connections between said rod and flaps, said conduits gradually decreasing in depth rearwardly to provide for building up air pressure therein. p

3. The combination with the hood, grill,`and windshield of an automobile of means to deect matter away from said windshield under forward travel of the automobile comp a pair of air collecting and discharging conduits in said hood extending lengthwise of the same upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, respectively, in side-by-side contiguous relation and having open front ends adjacent to said grill to scoop up air entering the grill, and rear ends 4opening upwardly through said hood immediately in front of said windshield, front and rear closure 'aps hingedly mounted on said conduits for opening and closing movement, a p operating rod mounted in said hood for endwise sliding movement and proiectinginto the body oi the automobile, and operating connections between said rod and flaps, said conduits gradually decreasing in depth rearwardly to provide for building up air pressure therein, said connections including a pick-up connection for delaying closing operation of the rear paix-*of iaps V until the front pair are partly closed.

FLOYD C. MARTIN. $0 

